The BLT - News from Washington

The Blog of Legal TimesTwice voted one of the top law "blawgs" in the country by the ABA Journal, The National Law Journal's popular Blog of Legal Times (better known as "The BLT") covers daily legal developments in Washington.

04/11/2010

Three More Anecdotes from Clerks

• On arriving in Washington in 1975, Stevens listed his occupation as "Justice" on a form, thus drawing the retort, "OK, last week, I had a guy who said 'Peace.'"

• At an oral argument during the 1998 term, an advocate addressed a robed inquisitor as "Judge," and so provoked a withering reminder that the Court comprised "Justices." No one spoke up. But when the scene repeated itself days later, Justice Stevens, who had expressed unease at the first exchange as soon as he returned to chambers, provided this accurate citation to the U.S. Constitution: "Excuse me, but if I am not mistaken, Article III refers to us as judges."

• One time, walking into a Court reception, Stevens relieved a law clerk of the task another Justice had assigned her: serving coffee to that Justice and the other men in the room. "Thank you for taking your turn with the coffee," Stevens told her. "I think it's my turn now." — Diane Marie Amann